Bottom for shoes



Oct. 8, 1929. R. w. SCHNEIDER BOTTOM FOR SHOES Filed Jan. 11. 1921 INVENTOR (9" I 7 Q P WW. 40 m Patented Oct. 8, 1929 ROBERT W. SCHNEIDER, OF'NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTOM FOR SHOES Application filed January 11, 1921.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoe bottoms and consists in the construction of a shoe in such a manner that the entire foot bears the burden of support as when barefoot on soft sod or turf, the shoe bottom, being curved up at the rear, conforming approximately with the 0s calcis, so as to equalize the wear on the outer sole while at the same time providing distributed support for the human foot.

The objects of my invention are:

(1) To provide a shoe bottom so formed that the outer sole is flat on the lower face insuring maximum wearing surface while up on the upper face it is provided with a normal bearing surface. 7

(2) To provide such an upwardly curved rear as will be out of the way of the wear common to the back ends of the ordinary style heel.

(3) .To prevent the unnatural shocks due to the pounding of the heels, which extract their toll not only out of the arches but out of the nerves and spinal alignment as well.

(4) To provide alongitudinal arch which relieves the most tender parts of the foot bottom. whereas in present types of shoes With steel-shank-inserts, etc.,' the most unyielding area of support contacts that part of the foot bottom which by nature is farthest from the ground and least capable of enduring under the paralyzing effect of pressure and concussion.

(5) To provide a shoe bottom so formed that the innersole is convex (forward of the shank part) beneath the heads of the second, third and fourth metatarsals, in short, to equip a shoe bottom with a transverse arch that can be standarizeda yielding ridge which is potentially and practically a callous remover, a toe spreader and straightener, while providing a base with ample space for the toes of the human foot.

I accomplish these and other objects by my shoe bottom illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of an Oxford shoe with my sole forming the bottom thereof. Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom of the outside sole of the shoe, indieating in dotted lines the area occupied by Serial No. 436,

the ridge along the forward sole and the i v continuation of the the shank portion.

ridge more widely over Fig. 3 1s a cross-section taken on the line marked 33 in Fig. 1. Flg. 4 1S a cross-section taken on a line marked l-4 in Fig. 1.

The construction of my shoe bottom is as of the width of th e sole and about threefifths the height of the raised arch 8 runs along the inner surface of the said sole, thus constituting that pa foot, from the said the sole. The raised integral withthe sol rt of the sole next to the arch to the front end of arch -8 is also formed e and upon the inner sur- 1 face thereof and extends upwardly as illus trated to conform to the curve of the arch of the foot.

Figure 1 shows a. left shoe. At the arch portion, the outer sole 5 is flat and next above it is a lateral supporting strip 9 of rigid material, such as sole leather, which serves to keep in proper position the relatively softer resilient material of the shank portion 8, which com-pluses a continuatlon of the transversely convex ridge 7 but which is broadened an d shaped to conform to the arch of the foot higher at the inside than at the opposite edge, as indicated in Figure 3. In Figure 8, the

taken throughthe shank portion illustrates at the left the strip 9 shown cross sectional View in Figure 1 and also at the right another strip member 9 of less height than the first and which serves the same purpose on the opposite side of the shoe.

The strips 9 are tapered toward their ends, as shown in Figure 1, as

regards height, but

their width is substantially the same throughout their length.

The upper is secured to the sole 5 in any satisfactory manner, and the supporting strips 9 are preferab 1y sewed to the sole 5 and located between the sole 5 and the welt, as indicated in Figure 3. Inuse, the shoe f unctions as follows: In

walking the raised surface 8 yieldingly contacts the arch, depending upon 9 for the maintenance of its arch form. At which time 9- in Fig. 3 forces the outer part of the sole adjacent to it down so as to share in the wear, with the other parts of the sole. The ridge -7 gently supports the transverse arch of the foot under the metatarsal bones, and at the same time provides more room in the shoe for the toes and allot-s them their normal spread. The curved heel 6 provides for a gradual and easy lowering of the foot from heel to toe in Walking and thus prevents jars, equalizes Wear, removes muscular and nerve strain caused by heels with rectilinear or square surfaces.

The co-operation of all of the above features of my invention accomplish all of my objects here-inbefore mentioned and provide a shoe in which the human foot has the same natural relation and position to the ground which the bare human foot would have in walking.

The inner sole lies over the strip 7 and over the arch supporting area 8 and conforms to the curvature of the ridge 7 and to the inclination of the surface in the shank, and in the heel, the inner sole is curved upwardly at the rear to conform to the curvature of the outer sole 5.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that this invention provides for a transversely convex ridge extending from the extren'ie front end of a shoe rearwardly beneath the toes and under the forward arch beneath the metatarsal bones and thence rearwardly to the shank portion Where the material of the ridge is broadened, heightened and inclined to conform to the main arch of the foot.

I claim:

1. A heel-less shoe having a flat outer sole, an insole, and a transversely convex, resilient filler lying between the inner and outer soles and extending from near their front end to a point near the heel, that portion under the shank being thicker than that under the forepart, and conforming to the shape of the foot arch.

2. A heel-less shoe having a fiat outer sole, an insole, and a transversely convex, resilient filler lying between the inner and outer soles and extending from near their front end to a point near the heel, that portion under the shank being thicker than thatunder the forepart, and conforming to the shape of the foot arch, the heel end of the inner and outer soles being upwardly curved.

3. A shoe having an outer sole, an insole, a transversely convex, resilient filler lying between the inner and outer soles and extending from near their front end to a point near the heel, that portion under the shank being thicker than that under the forepart, and conforming to the shape of the foot arch, and two lateral supporting strips positioned one at each side of the shank portion of the filler and secured to the upper surface of the outer sole, said strips being of relatively nonyieldable material substantially of the same type as the material of the outer sole.

i. A shoe having an outer sole, an insole, and a transversely convex resilient filler extending along the forward portion of the shoe between the inner and outer soles from the front end continuously along the portion occupied by the toes and rearwarclly therefrom to the shank and continuing throughout the shank portion over an area broader than that of said forward portion and the upper sin-face of the shank portion conforming to a of the foot arch.

oe having an outer sole, an insole, a trail-av ely convex, resilient tiller be tween the inner and outer soles and extending substantially centrally, rearwardly from atransversely convex insert at the tip end to a point near the heel, that portion under the shank being thicker than that under the forepart and on upper side conforming to the shape of the foot arch while on lower side be ing convex, and two lateral supporting strips positioned one at each side of the shank por tion of the filler and secured to the upper surface of the outer sole, said strips being of relatively non yielding material or substan-- ti allv of outer sole.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specifcation this sixth day of January, 1921.

ROBERT SCHNEIDER.

the same type as the material of the 

